The Next Generation
by ZimFan21
Summary: Sequel. Zak, son of Zim and Tak, thinks he can never accomplish anything as amazing as his father did, but fate may give him a chance to prove himself when he discovers the secrets of a new biochemical weapon developed inside a Kinzak prison.
1. It's a Legitimate Strategy

**It's a Legitimate Strategy**

**So here it is, the sequel to The Kinzak War. Man it's been a long time since I've written a story, about four years in fact, maybe more. But hey, college makes for busy times. As some of you may remember, I tried writing a sequel a few years back, but I wasn't happy with the storyline so I scrapped the work. But, I decided I didn't want to leave things where they were, so I started over. Now that quite a few years have passed, I hope my writing has matured and that this story turns out better than the first attempt! So enjoy!**

Two moderately tall Irkens in uniform watched carefully as two of the training academy's greatest students presented a more than livid battle as they sparred head to head with large, high-tech combat machines. One of the observers was slightly taller than the other and wore a higher grade military outfit. The shorter Irken was his subordinate and was holding a type of holographic clipboard. But, unlike his superior, he was covered from head to toe in safety gear. Both Irkens were busy evaluating the two students' before them. It was their job to determine who was more qualified.

"So how many times has he tried out?" asked the taller Irken.

"Too many to count sir. It really is extraordinary. This kid's incredibly smart, but when it comes to the exam he just doesn't follow the rules. If he did, he would easily pass with flying colors. Every time I have no choice but to fail him."

The taller Irken spoke without looking down at his subordinate. "You know Corporal, his written and oral exam scores were near perfect. No other student has performed nearly as well as him. He even beat Tallest Tak's score."

"I know sir, but this facility was designed for training the best of the best. If he can't do something as simple as follow basic orders…TAKE COVER!"

The two Irkens quickly scrambled to leap out of harm's way as a giant metallic robot hurtled toward them. It slammed into an empty side of the arena, sending concrete debris flying. The pilot of the machine regained himself from the collision and rattled the controls. The robot shook off the rubble, then brought two large metallic arms down and pushed its 'body' up from the ground and back into a fighting stance. The pilot pushed the controls forward, and in a fury, the battle-bot took off, flying toward his challenger at top speed with the help of its booster rockets. The two battle machines met halfway with a loud metallic bang. Then, with equal strength, they wrestled, each trying desperately to pin down the other and rip out the targeted power supply.

"You see, he's reckless," said the subordinate as he dusted himself off from his near death experience. "He knows that forcefully causing his challenger to become completely airborne at anytime is not only dangerous, but an illegal move that could cost him the match."

"Yes I am quite aware of his recklessness," said the supervisor. "But he _is _like his father, regardless of his mother's intellect."

"What's that supposed to mean? May I remind you that Tallest Zim has a reckless mannerism? Don't you remember that he was the one who almost single handedly destroyed our entire civilization? Zak is just as dangerous and unpredictable!"

The supervisor turned to face his companion with a glare. "So you're saying you preferred rule under Tallest Red and Purple? You preferred a set of leaders who ate snacks all day and never actually cared about you, the empire, or did their job? And may I remind you Corporal, Tallest Zim saved us from at least a millennium of slavery from the Kinzaks. At least he tries to do his job, and with Tallest Tak beside him, he's not half bad at it. Who knows where we would be now if it wasn't for him."

The subordinate turned away and grunted in defeat."Yes sir."

* * *

By the end of the wrestling match the challenging pilot's robot had been damaged too severely to battle any further. Zak had won, and the losing Irken popped the hatch on the cockpit and staggered out of his combat unit. Once he regained his composure, he angrily trust off his helmet and threw it down in frustration.

"Zak! You know damn well that picking up your opponent's machine at any time is against the rules! This ordinary training equipment isn't meant to be thrown around! What makes you think you can get away with cheap moves like that?"

Zak took off his helmet as well, and stepped out onto a mini hover elevator which took him down to the ground level. Without a word, he made his way over to his opponent and reached out a hand to help him onto his feet.

The downed Irken growled and refused. "I'll keep my pride thanks," he said as he stood up and dusted himself off. "You think you're just so high and mighty don't you? Think you can just do whatever you want just because you come from a line of royalty."

"I just wanted to thank you for a great battle Rik, that's all," interrupted Zak. Without permission he grabbed Rik's hand and pulled him up onto his feet. "Besides, using logical tactics to defeat your opponent in battle isn't cheating. It's strategy. In a real battle your enemy isn't going to play fair."

Rik broke the handshake and straightened himself out. "I will never fully understand your insistence of casual gestures such as these 'hand-shakes', but none the less, I will congratulate his lordship on your victory." Rik gave a short bow to show his respects, but quickly walked away disgruntled. After all, Zak _was_ a descendant of the Tallest, and showing any disrespect to his leaders was highly frowned upon by others. Not to mention a crime, depending on the situation.

Zak rolled his eyes and sighed. He had been treated differently since the day he was born, but he didn't really care much for it. Sure it was nice having everything you wanted handed to you when you asked for it, but to him it seemed unfair. He didn't like being treated any different than any normal Irken of his height. He hadn't earned any of that respect, not like his father had to. Even with some of the new laws constructed to give shorter Irkens more equality and respect, a majority of the taller ones still thought higher of themselves and treated shorter Irkens like dirt whenever the opportunity presented itself. Hell, one of the reasons Zak enjoyed sparring with Rik so often was because the guy was completely stubborn and never admitted defeat, and while he didn't fail to show Zak respect, he wasn't afraid to stand up to him and treat him as his equal every now and then. Most other Irkens wouldn't dare talk back to a superior.

It wasn't long before the corporal and his supervisor approached Zak to tell him his exam results. After he had defeated everyone in his class, Zak was confident they would have no choice but to pass him this time, even though he had broken the rules…again. He stood up straight in solute as the two Irkens drew closer.

"Irken trainee Zak, Sir," started the corporal, "We have concluded that based on your performance in the arena today, we unfortunately cannot grant you access into the elite facility. Since you...once again...failed to follow the basic rules of engagement during battle, you have been disqualified from this exam. Normally you would be required to start from the beginning, but seeing as this is your seventh time failing, you are expelled from the exam. Your actions have been described as reckless, and despite your superior ranking, will not be tolerated in this facility."

Zak's heart sank. He had been sure this time would have been a guaranteed success, but to be expelled was even worse, considering it brought a significant amount of shame along with it.

"What about my outstanding performances which have resulted in victories in the past? Isn't there anything that can be done? Isn't there anyone I can talk to in order to gain recognition for my talents and be readmitted?"

The corporal looked down at Zak from his high tech clipboard."Well, there is _one_ option, but no one has ever actually taken up the offer considering..."

"I'm willing to do just about anything sir," interrupted Zak, shaking with anticipation.

Before he could speak, the corporal's supervisor stepped forward.

"The rules state that you would be required to take up the issue with the empire's highest order, The Almighty Tallest. Only with both of their permission will you be allowed to continue your training at this academy."

The supervisor gave a wicked grin and bent down to Zak's level, with his face almost touching Zak's antennae. "Fortunately for you, that shouldn't be too much of a problem now should it."

Zak gave a weak smile as the supervisor slowly stood up and strode away, but he couldn't move. His stomach had spontaneously tied itself into a knot.

* * *

Zak dragged his feet on the concrete floor of the training base. An Irken soldier had been ordered to escort him back to his ship, but Zak was trying his hardest to put as much time between him and his mother as possible.

"Sir, if you don't mind I'd like to get you to your ship as soon as possible," requested the solider. "My commander has been rather sore with me lately and he may question why it took me so long to report back to my post."

Zak quickly snapped out of his day dreaming. "Oh yeah…sure, sorry. Uh...carry on."

"No need to apologize to me sir," said the soldier. "Though I may be taller, you are still my superior."

Eventually the two of them reached a landing platform where a heavily, militarily decorated human awaited them. He was tall, about in his mid-thirties, and was wearing a long black trench coat.

"Human council member Dib will take you from here sir," said the soldier, giving Zak an honorable salute. Zak nodded to the soldier in acknowledgment. He then turned to Dib, who respectfully allowed him to step into the transport pod first. Once aboard, the two were able to have a private conversation.

"Damn, looks like I need to have another check up," said Dib as he checked his bio settings on a hologram from his arm device. By request, his aging and growth process had been slowed to increase his life span. While he couldn't live as long as an Irken, he had lived a lot longer than any normal human was supposed to. He was technically ninety one years old in human years, but with age slowing technology he was only about thirty-five.

"So how did your final test go Zak?"

Zak slumped in his seat and crossed his arms.

"I failed…again. AND I've been kicked out of the academy. They say that I'm too reckless and don't obey rules."

Zak expected Dib to frown in disappointment, but to his surprise, the human simply smiled and gave a slight chuckle.

"What's so funny?" asked Zak confused.

"Nothing. It's just a bit ironic, you being your father's son. I wonder what Tak will say to all of this. Zim won't be happy sure, but Tak…well."

"Gee thanks," Zak muttered, folding his arms again. "As if I didn't already know."

"Well you lucked out for the moment," said Dib, shutting off the hologram.

"How so?"

"She's in a meeting. The council is busy deciding on appointing a new Vorten member. Apparently the last one was guilty of treason."

Their conversation was cut short with a loud click as the transport pod had docked with the massive. Dib allowed Zak to step out first once the doors opened, and the pair proceeded to the bridge. Once they walked through the doors Zak noticed that the docking bay was buzzing with activity as usual. Dozens of engineers were zipping back and forth, scrambling to run maintenance on recently docked ships. Cargo cruisers were quickly being unloaded, and any new arrivals were being checked in and cleared. Zak was so memorized by their speed and coordination he hadn't realized he had accidentally wondered into a stranger's path.

"Oooof," grunted Zak as he collided with the stranger. He regained his stature and looked up.

"My apologies sir. I didn't see you down there" said the stranger. He was Irken, and somewhat tall, between four and five feet. Zak also noticed that he was carrying some sort of holographic clipboard device, similar to the one the test observer had been holding. All Zak could see were the Irken's blue eyes due to the uniform making half his face.

"It's fine. Carry on," muttered Zak. He didn't like being reminded that he was short, but figuring the Irken was just out doing his job and didn't really mean to insult him, Zak let him go without question.

After a long walk, the Dib and Zak reached the bridge's main doors. The guards gripped their spears tightly and greeted them via salute. The doors opened, and at last the pair stepped onto the bridge. In the middle of the large room were two central chairs. One was empty, but in the other sat a rather tall, and very bored Irken. His posture was slumped, and he was supporting his head with his left arm.

"For the last time Skoodge, I don't care how many times you've ran your calculations, if the screw-head people of our package shipping planet demand payment for their work, we will pay them! I don't want the Empire to be run by slaves."

"But my Tallest, I keep losing count of their population number. They are all so busy running around that it makes it impossible to keep track. I've told them to remain still, but they are all too afraid to stop their work because the soldiers zap them whenever they slack off."

Zim sighed and buried his face in his hand. "Just figure out an estimate and I'll have one of our engineers run the numbers. In the meantime tell the soldiers that under my command they are ordered to resist punishment while you do your job. Is that understood? "

"Yes sir!" saluted Skoodge, and the bridge screen instantly went blank. Zim groaned and slumped back into his command chair even further. He was so burnt out in fact that he hadn't even noticed a familiar human sneaking up from behind him.

"HEY ZIM!"

Zim nearly shot out of his chair as Dib called out from behind him. After catching his breath, he turned to face his old friend.

"Why must you scare me like that Dib-human?"

"Do you really still have to call me that?" said Dib jokingly. "Anyway I just thought you'd like to know your trouble making son is back on board."

"Troublemaking?" asked Zim standing up from his chair, surprised. The particular choice of words had certainly caught his attention.

"It's about the academy," Dib whispered into Zim's antennae. "Apparently they kicked him out."

Zim remained silent, standing where he was. He was shocked upon hearing the news, but he remained calm withholding any emotion. Sure he was angry and disappointed, but he wasn't about to punish Zak without some sort of explanation. Deciding what do to about his son, he remained silent for a while longer. Then, after what seemed like an eternity to Zak, Zim turned to Dib.

"I wish to speak with Zak alone, but thank you for letting me know Dib, and for taking care of him."

"No problem," answered Dib. He preferred to leave the issue for Zim to handle anyway. "Now if you will excuse me, I need to have some health tests done in the medical bay. Humans aren't meant to have their aging processes slowed down you know."

Zim let him go without question. He strode over to the elevator platform and motioned for Zak to join him. Zak did as he was told.

"Elevator, upper private quarters!" commanded Zim and immediately the small elevator slowly lifted them to the upper level of the bridge. Once there, Zim stepped off the elevator, but only to be greeted by his trusty companion.

"HIYA MASTER! I MISSED YOU!"

An excited GIR jumped up and strangled Zim's neck with his tiny, metallic body.

"Hi Gir." One of the reasons Zim was thankful that he had grown taller was because it meant Gir's playful collisions were now a lot less painful with his bigger body mass. However Zak, being roughly the size Zim used to be back in his 'invader' days, wasn't so lucky.

"BABY MASTER!" Gir jumped off Zim and slammed into Zak, knocking him over.

"Gir, go watch TV! We have things to discuss," Zim commanded.

"Okie Dokie!"

With a quick flash of red, Gir was instantly back to his original spot in front of the giant TV set. Zim was still amazed how the mindless broadcast could entertain the simple minded robot for hours.

"So...why exactly did you never fix him?" asked Zak.

"I tried once," replied Zim, remembering the time he had boosted Gir's intelligence. The situation turned out to be more dangerous than helpful."Let's just say some things aren't meant to be tampered with. Now then, back to this business of you getting kicked out of the academy..."

"You're not going to tell Mom are you?" interrupted Zak. "The supervisor said I just needed the Tallest's permission to continue training at the academy. Since you already know, can't we just keep it a secret?"

"That's just it," answered Zim. "You need the TALLESTS' permission. That means both of us. The Board of Directors is going to require both our signatures. We can't just skip out on telling Tak about it."

"Skip out on telling me WHAT…exactly?"

Startled, both Zim and Zak wheeled around to find a rather annoyed Tak staring back at them through the transmission monitor.

**Well that's chapter one. I'll try to update as quickly as possible, but don't expect updates to be frequent or immediate. I want this to be good and I'll need some time to develop the plot and resubmit chapters for error corrections as I go. So, tell me what you think!**


	2. Always a Catch

**Always a Catch**

"Uh…how long have you been there?" stuttered Zak, trying to maintain his composure.

"Long enough." Tak folded her arms and glared down at her son through the transmission monitor. "I trust you have prepared an explanation for whatever it is you've broken, destroyed, or damaged beyond repair this time."

Zak didn't know how to answer. He would have much rather been in trouble for breaking something than the situation he was in now. He looked up over at his father for help on a way out, but Zim shook his head and pointed back at the monitor. He knew better than to cross Tak, especially if he wasn't the one in trouble.

"Well?" asked Tak impatiently. She would willingly take an answer from either of them. Finally, Zak turned back around to face his intimidating mother.

"I was sort of…kicked out...from the...academy."

He expected Tak to start yelling at him, telling him how irresponsible he was, but to his surprise, her irritated expression didn't change. She didn't even flinch. None the less, Zak could feel the fury conveying towards him through her venomous gaze.

"But there is good news," continued Zak. "My written and oral test scores were really impressive, higher than yours even. And the supervisor said that all I need to do to get back in was get your permission and…"

Tak signaled him to stop with the motion of her hand. Zak immediately shut his mouth. He was nervous. Maybe mentioning he had done better than her on the exam hadn't been the smartest move.

Zim, also sensing Tak's disappointment, decided now was a good time to leave before the lounge turned into ground zero. Slowly, he attempted to make his way towards the elevator.

"Hold on Zim." Zim froze immediately at Tak's command. Her tone was sharp enough to stop anyone in their tracks. He turned around, but was pleased when he noticed her expression softened for him. At least he knew he wasn't the one she intended on yelling at.

"Dib informed me earlier that he desired to take a trip back to Earth," said Tak. "He also made it clear that he wanted _you_ to go with him. He wouldn't tell me why, regardless of how much I threatened to kill him."

Zim smirked at her remark. If there was one thing he loved about Tak is was her attitude. He cocked his head to the side in thought. It had been a long time since Dib had asked for Zim to join him on a personal trip back to Earth. The reason must be important enough. Still, he didn't understand why the human was being so secretive about it, or so sudden. "Very well," replied Zim. "Will you be commanding the bridge then?"

"I'll leave Commander Jed in charge temporarily as she's one of our most decorative soldiers. I'm sure she can handle petty troubles while we're away," explained Tak as she turned to face Zak, who gulped. "It seems I have more important matters to deal with at the moment."

* * *

Hours after the little chat with his parents on the bridge, Zak waited in the deserted arena of the training academy, twiddling his thumbs nervously. Tak was busy consulting with the supervisor, but she had insisted that Zak accompany her while she took care of the problem. However, Zak was not new to this routine. He knew his mother, and he knew she would NEVER give in so easily. There was always a catch, some hard lesson that he would have to learn before he could move on. Finally, after waiting an hour, he could see someone approaching him, but it wasn't Tak or the supervisor. It was a regular soldier, and he was alone.

"Zak, sir," saluted the Irken.

"At ease," sighed Zak.

"Sir! I have been ordered to transport you to the advanced Irken training arena in Sector 278. Tallest Tak requested that you meet her there as soon as possible."

Zak's antennae perked up. Sector 278 was where the elite soldiers from the academy went for specialized training after they graduated. _Does this mean I'm back in? _But in the back of his mind, Zak knew something was off. There was no way things would run that smoothly with his mother. Tak definitely had something planned for him, and he was not looking forward to it.

Once Zak arrived at sector 278, he was immediately taken over to the battle zone. When he finally arrived at his destination, he was amazed at what was standing before him. It was another destroyer machine, similar to the machines used in the academy for training, except this one was several stories tall and fully equipped with lethal weapons. Two deadly lasers with homing devices were buried in each of the shoulders, a collection of small rockets were hidden away under the metal coverings of the legs, a massive protective shield rested on the left arm, and a heavy caliber gun replaced the right arm with an energy blade tucked beneath it.

The soldiers led Zak to the pilot's seat. He eagerly strapped himself in and put on his piloting helmet. It was the first time he had ever been in a fully operating destroyer machine before. Zak felt the excitement course through his veins. With a machine this big he was sure to have to fight some sort of large creature in order to prove himself. Or maybe it was just the first step to his new training program. Either way, he gripped the controls and couldn't wait for the hatch doors to open. Finally, there was a buzzing noise and the platform beneath him began to rise from underground. When he reached the surface, Zak found himself in the middle of a large empty dust bowl. Across from him, some distance away, was another destroyer machine.

Suddenly, he heard a voice in his transmitter and immediately recognized it as his mother's.

"Here's the deal Zak. This battle will decide whether or not you pass your training. You're final test…is to defeat _me_ in deadly combat."

_Deadly combat_? Zak was confused. Did she really mean a fight to the death? It seemed a little extreme. He noticed the transmission screen flicker on in the corner of his eye, revealing Tak. She was strapped into a pilot seat with a helmet, just like he was.

"I can tell based off your expression that you don't fully understand the situation, but you heard correct Son. This is a fight to the DEATH. There are no rules and no restrictions. The one who comes out alive wins. I won't be holding back, so you had better put your full effort into it."

Zak was stunned. How was he supposed to kill his own mother, the Tallest no less? Not only that, how could his own mother even think of killing _him_? Before he could get lost in his thoughts, a beeping alarm caught his attention. He looked up to find the Tak's robot charging at him full speed. Quickly, at the last second, he dodged the attack, then turned and launched a few missiles from his leg. Instantly, Tak put up her shield to block the blast and was engulfed in a dust cloud.

The missiles seemed to have exploded on contact. Almost sure he had landed a critical hit, Zak waited for the smoke to clear. But when it did, he was shocked to find Tak had vanished. He twisted left and right, but she seemed to be nowhere on the battle field.

Suddenly, with a heavy slam, Zak felt the Tak's robot land on him with heavy force. Then, almost as quickly as he was slammed into the ground, he felt the bot hoist him into the air and take flight.

"Looks like this is going to be too easy," said Tak as she used her rocket boost to fly higher and higher.

Realizing these battle bots were designed for flight, Zak reached over and aimed his machine gun at the Tak's jet pack engine and fired. The plasma shot hit the right engine dead on, causing it to overheat and shut down before Tak carried him too high. Tak switched off her boosters and let go of Zak to regain control of her landing, but Zak seized the opportunity. He quickly locked his laser on his opponent and fired. Unfortunately, Tak was just as quick, and used her reflective shield to send his laser right back at him.

"Warning, targeting system damaged," reported the computer as the laser damaged his left shoulder.

"Damn," spat Zak. "I'm going to have to rely on close quarters to win now."

The battle raged on for another two solid hours. Both machines had taken heavy damage, but Zak couldn't help but hold back on most of his advances. A majority of his time had been playing defense just to avoid her attacks. His body was sore from taking the impact of so many hits, and his mind was exhausted from battling with his conscience. It seemed there was only one way Tak was going to allow the duel end, and if that's what she insisted, he would be forced give in.

The two bots had taken flight again and each of them were struggling to land a final blow on the other. Then, to Zak's surprise Tak caught him head-locked in the arms of her bot. She flipped the two of them upside down, and started to take a nose dive towards the ground. As the two of them were free falling at high speed, Zak managed to struggle free. He quickly turned the tables at the last second, constraining Tak's machine instead and added more speed by switching on his boosters. Finally, the two of them collided with the ground causing a minor explosion and a massive swarm of dust to be kicked up from the ground.

When the smoke cleared, Zak opened his eyes. He looked down to see the result of his attack, but was horrified with the sight beneath him. The hot blade from his robot's arm was extended and was buried deep within the very center of the enemy robot's pilot seat, completely destroying the cockpit of the destroyer. The explosion had been the result of the machine's central power core releasing pressure from the force of the impact, and it had completely blown out everything from the internal compartments. Shrapnel was scattered everywhere and a few sparks of electricity flashed across the destroyed robot. Zak didn't move. He remained there in the pilot's seat, staring in shock at the mutilated remains. No Irken, no matter how skilled, strong, or intelligent could have possibly survived such an attack.

**Author's note: So there's chapter two everyone! Sorry, for making the battle scene so short. I was going to make it way longer, but I got kind of lazy lol. Just use your imaginations (envision transformers or something in an epic battle). Anyways, I'm working on chapter 3 as we speak. Hope I don't keep everyone waiting too long.**


	3. Too Easy

**Too Easy**

Zak remained standing on the battlefield, paralyzed. _I don't understand. Was this more than a test? Have I failed? Or is this what she had expected all along? This doesn't make any sense! _He slammed a robotic arm to the ground in frustration, creating a miniature crater. He didn't know what to do next. His world was so turned around at the moment he didn't know what to think. He had just murdered his own mother, but couldn't bring himself to admit that he had been the one who had done it.

Zak lowered his robot's torso closer to the ground and quickly unbuckled himself from the pilot's seat. After popping the hatch, he hopped out and dashed over to the destroyed battle robot, swiftly dodging the scattered debris along the way. Suddenly, a soldier's voice popped in his helmet's transmitter.

"Sir! It's too dangerous! You need to get back to your destroyer. Tak's machine is leaking fluid rapidly and can explode at any second!"

Zak didn't care. If there was even the smallest chance his mother was still alive he was going to take it. He continued to run toward the broken destroyer, but as he got closer he noticed a peculiar ticking sound. He froze in his tracks. The ticking seemed to be getting faster with every ping.

_A bomb? Why would a bomb be…_

Zak's thoughts were interrupted as the ticking rapidly reached its end. Zak leapt away immediately and attempted to take cover behind some shrapnel. Tak's robot exploded into a giant orange fireball, sending out a strong energy pulse knocking down everything in its path. Zak was flung up from the blast, along with his piece of shrapnel, and smacked against the concrete wall that bordered the arena. Dust was kicked up everywhere. Zak shielded himself, but still found it difficult to breathe in the dust storm. Once it was over, a large puff of black smoke lingered in the sky.

Zak coughed as he pushed himself up from the dusty ground. Luckily nothing was broken and he had no serious injuries, but if he had taken a few more steps closer things might have been much worse. Although now, any hope he had originally had of finding his mother alive in the robot had been completely destroyed. It was over. She was dead, and it was his fault.

* * *

Zak slumped on a hospital bed while the doctors routinely looked him over. He paid no attention to them. He obeyed their simple commands and let them move his arms around like he was a rag doll, while his mind was busy concentrating on recent events. He was still in shock, but not from the blast. Once the doctors were satisfied that he was okay and perfectly healthy, they left the room to look over another patient. Zak didn't even notice they had left. He was still staring off into space, completely unaware of his surroundings. Eventually one of the younger nurses noticed him. When she approached him, she reached out and touched his arm, snapping him out of his trance.

"The doctors suggest that you relax here for a while sir," she said kindly. "There's nothing wrong with you physically, but I can see your nerves need to settle before you go anywhere or pilot anything."

"Sure," replied Zak, and the nurse left. Knowing he was alone now he let his mind slip back to the battle that had occurred earlier. The final blow played over and over in his mind like a bad song stuck in your head. He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. "How am I supposed to break the news to my father?" he asked out loud. "What am I supposed to tell him? That his son screwed up again? Except this time he killed his own mother?"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," said a voice behind him. Startled, Zak flung himself around. His jaw dropped when he recognized that the voice belonged to none other than Tak. "You'd be surprised at the 'screw ups' your father managed to accomplish when he was about your age."

Zak was speechless. Less than an hour ago he was absolutely sure he had murdered his mother, but now she was standing right in front of him alive and completely unharmed. And, she was smiling at him! He stared back at her, confused.

"I guess you want some answers then," said Tak, seeing the expression on her son's face. "Very well," She sat down beside him on the hospital bed. "As you can probably guess, I was never actually in the pilot seat of the robot you destroyed. We have a simulator that makes students think their opponent is actually fighting them when the opponent is controlling their robot from a place of complete safety. The purpose is to make the student think they killed someone close to them."

"I don't understand," interrupted Zak. "What's the point? Why would they want you to think you killed anyone? Especially someone you knew?"

"It is one of the hardest lessons an Irken soldier ever has to learn," answered Tak. "The final exam of every graduating academy member is to take part in this lesson. The point is to prepare you to be ready to kill a traitor, no matter how close you are to them. You need to be ready to let go of those feelings of companionship and take them out before they take you out. It's a hard lesson to learn, but it's important."

Zak shifted his glance to the floor. He seemed to be processing the information. Once he had accepted that his world was still in one piece, he turned back toward Tak. "So I guess that means I pass then?" Tak nodded with a smirk. Whether or not she admitted it, she was quite proud of her son, especially since he had managed to beat most of her own test scores.

"Well then, I think congratulations are in order," said Tak as she stood up from the hospital bed. "Foodcourtia isn't far from here. How about a quick stop before we head back?"

* * *

Zim tapped his claws impatiently against the armrest of his command chair. "Aren't we there yet?" he groaned.

"Patience my lord," replied one of the bridge crew pilots. "The Massive is traveling at top jump speed."

"Well it's still taking too long! Isn't there any way to make this barge go faster?"

"Afraid not sir. In order to divert more energy to the jump engines we would have to drain it from the main power core that supports our defenses. It's too risky. We would be vulnerable to any attack."

Zim grunted in frustration. It had been a long time since he had last been on Earth. Over the years he had grown quite fond over the little planet. Now he was excited to see the progress the humans have made since his last visit.

"Hey Zim relax would ya," said Dib. "We'll get there when we get there." Sitting next to his long time friend, Dib knew he was the only other person besides Tak who was permitted to treat Zim as an equal. But unlike Zim, Dib was busy, occupied with a new 3D holographic game he had programmed on his wrist device.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who's bored out of their mind. You seem to forget that while Irken technology may still impress you, it's nothing new to me."

"So fight me in this game I'm playing then. I've always wanted to try it out with two players."

Zim flicked his hand and shook his head, expressing that wasn't in the mood for "childish" games.

"Oh I get it," said Dib sneering. "Too afraid to face me at my own game huh? What's wrong? Scared you're gonna lose space boy? Oh well, I guess even the great Tallest Zim has his weaknesses…"

Zim's hand clenched into a fist. He flexed his muscles angrily, trying to fight the temptation. The struggle didn't last long.

"Bridge crew, put the game on screen!"

Dib smirked victoriously. _Too Easy_


	4. Trip Down Memory Lane

**Trip Down Memory Lane**

The transport shuttle touched down gently on a soft grassy hill. A stepping platform emerged, and Zim climbed out first into the bright sunlight, but was confused when he looked around. They were in the middle of an old, large graveyard where every acre was covered with grass and white tombstones, and all the graves were evenly placed.

"It's Arlington National Cemetery," Dib explained as he stepped out next to Zim. "It's where they used to bury American soldiers who died fighting for their country in the line of battle, but ever since the human race discovered they weren't alone in the universe, all national military units from around the world were combined into one giant global militia. Global politics drastically changed, and as a result, this place became one of the special burial sites reserved for only the very most influential people of the world."

Zim processed the information as he looked out at the many graves. He still couldn't understand some of the humans' strange customs. To him, and almost every other Irken, burying the dead seemed pointless, but who was he to judge. Every race had their own way of doing things. There were probably hundreds of Irken customs Dib found unusual.

"So what are we doing here?" Zim asked, getting his mind back on topic.

Dib didn't answer him. Instead, he brushed past Zim and continued down the hill in between a row of graves. Zim was a little confused at Dib's behavior, but followed him without question.

He followed Dib for a good ten minutes until the human finally stopped a couple of feet in front of a particular tombstone. Zim approached his side, but Dib continued to stare at the grave before him. His gaze was so intense, the human seemed to be not looking at the tombstone itself, but into the life of the person who was buried there. Zim looked down at the grave, but caught his breath when he recognized the last name carved in the stone.

**Membrane**

"Dib, is this…is your father really…?"

"Dead? Yes. He died a long time ago, but this is the first time I've ever come out here to visit his grave."

Zim didn't know what how to react. He had no idea the human's father had even passed away. Dib had never really talked about him, or liked talking about him, but Zim assumed the brilliant scientist would have at least taken advantage of the life span extending program offered to humans. But if Dib hated his father so much, why was he here now? It didn't make any sense. Zim could relate to how humans felt about losing their family members, but he didn't understand Dib's hesitation to visit his father's burial site. The whole thing made him feel like he was intruding in on something important. Feeling uncomfortable, he turned toward the shuttle and began heading back.

"Please stay Zim. It's important to me."

Zim sighed and turned back toward his companion, but Dib's face was blank and his attention was still fully focused on the tombstone. "Alright Dib I'll stay, but I want an explanation to why you decided to drag me here."

"I just told you why. This is my first time visiting my father's grave."

"Yes, but why now? And why bring ME here?"

Dib closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then let it out with a long sigh. "He wanted to apologize to you."

"Eh?" Zim questioned with a very confused look on his face. "How do you assume your deceased father wants to speak with me? I'll never understand human religion."

"No, it's not that," said Dib. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Somehow this letter wound up in my living quarters on the massive. I have no idea how it got there, seeing as my room is always locked when I'm away, but when I started to read it…"

Zim noticed a few small tears had formed in the human's eyes. Dib tried his best to hide them in an effort to stay tough, but failed. He pulled out a picture hidden away in the envelope and handed it to Zim. Zim took it carefully from his hand. It was a picture of Dib when he was much younger, even before the time Zim first arrived on Earth. He was held up, riding on top of his father's soldiers, and standing next to them was a beautiful woman dressed in a fine U.S. military uniform, holding his baby sister Gaz. All together they looked like your typical big happy family.

"I never really knew that life," said Dib breaking the silence. "I was too young to remember any of it, and my mother was killed fighting in the war a short time after that picture was taken. Dad got all involved with his career and never really had time to spend with me or Gaz. Before I knew it, he became the world's most important scientist and saw his own son as hopeless, insane, crazy, and a potential failure for the family industry."

Zim handed the picture back to Dib. He felt sorry for his friend. "You know I never even knew my father," he said hoping to make Dib feel a little better. "At least you had one. For however short a time it was."

"But for you, it's different," said Dib. "Never knowing your father is better than having one who never tells you once that he loves you, or at least once that I can remember. I never knew how he really felt about me until I read his letter."

Zim held out his hand to see the letter. "May I?" Dib handed it over and Zim started reading:

_To Dib, my son,_

_I am aware you may have feelings of hatred towards me, but I do not blame you for your negative opinion, for I would feel the same way if I were in your shoes. If you are reading this letter, then I have passed away many years ago, but do not worry about the time that has passed between then and now, it is not important. What is important is that I have not been fair to you in the years I've spent raising you and your sister. I had been so driven on the facts and evidence of what I called "real science" that I criticized you for your beliefs and ideas. Yes I may have been doing "actual science", but that does not mean that you were not. Never once did I encourage you or acknowledge your brilliance; I only criticized. And for that, I am truly sorry. _

_I hope this photo is proof enough to show that I do care about you. I am and have always been very proud of you, but I guess I was just too scared that you would end up on the wrong path in life that I never got the chance to tell you so. I have been offered the honor of having my burial at Arlington National Cemetery, which is perfect because they can place me next to your mother. If you ever get the chance, I would like you to visit me here with your friend so that I can apologize to both of you in person. In the end, I hope this apology is enough. I love you son. Make sure to continue making me a proud father._

_Sincerely, _

_Professor Membrane_

"Well at least now things make more sense," said Zim handing the letter back to Dib. "And if he must know, I accept his apology, with gratitude." Zim took an honorable bow to show his respects.

"Thanks," said Dib. "I needed to do this."

"Understandable Dib-human," replied Zim, making sure to use his friend's old rival name to lighten up the mood. "But if we are done here we should be getting back. I still have an empire to run."

Zim turned and headed back towards the shuttle, but Dib remained where he was standing. He took out a black pen that he had been hiding in his coat pocket and wrote a few words on the letter. Then he folded the letter up, slid it under a slight opening in the tombstone, and turned to follow Zim back onto the shuttle. Just as the shuttle took off, it caused a small gust of wind to flutter past the piece of paper, exposing a single line of handwriting:

_I love you too Dad. Tell Mom I said hi._

* * *

Zim sat slumped in his command chair. He was still emotionally drained from the visit earlier to the graveyard back on Earth and was not in any mood to deal with any political matters at the moment. Suddenly, he heard the doors to the bridge slide open. He turned his head to see who it was, but was relieved to find it was just Dib.

"May I take a seat?" asked Dib, pointing to Tak's command chair.

Zim nodded and motioned for him to sit. "What's on your mind human?'

Dib leaned forward and folded his hands together. "I have some…important information."

Zim sighed. "Very well, let's hear it."

"I found another message at my office. Like the last one, I have no idea how anyone broke in and entered it into the computer, but it was a warning saying that the Kinzaks may have vital technology that they plan to use to destroy the Irken Empire. Apparently, they are building a biological weapon of mass destruction that turns all known races besides Kinzaks into hosts for a genetically engineered parasite that spreads like wildfire. The weapon is being researched and tested on prisoners at the Kinzak Prison, Grougon, in Sector 1313. We will need to send in a stealth operative to retrieve a sample and bring it back here. With that, we will hopefully be able to create an antidote before they decide to unleash it on the universe."

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Zim leaned back in his chair again and stared up at the ceiling to think. "We will need an expert," he explained, "but all the soldiers trained for stealth missions have already been sent out on private assignments and can't be called back. The only other option would be to send in a recent academy graduate. Unfortunately, the only Irken with the proper training and qualifications to do the job would be Zak, and I'm not about to risk losing my only son to a near suicide mission."

"There is one other graduate who is good enough," suggested Dib.

Zim's antennae shot up in surprise. "And who might that be?" he asked eagerly.

**Author's note: And thus, the plot thickens! For this chapter I decided to include a little background for Dib. If you recall the original show itself was set in the future so I chose to say that his mother died in a war, which meant a war that happened past out present time (in other words past 2011). For those of you who like Membrane as a character, I apologize, but I felt by writing him out, it made Dib more important to Earth and the human race. For those of you who are wondering where Gaz is, or whether she is even alive, I will explain that later. For now, I must start continue writing the next chapter.**


	5. Operation NACHOS

**Operation NACHOS**

"Dad, let me do this! This is my chance to redeem myself!"

Zak pleaded with his father to let him go on the mission, but Zim was having none of it. The tall Irken continued to refuse his son's pleas as he repaired a giant hole Gir had somehow managed to acquire in his crazy little robot head.

"Please, we both know that I'm more skilled than Rik when it comes to stealth combat. My scores were always way higher than his during training, and I've been him in every match up..."

"Forget it!" barked Zim as he spun around from his work to face his son. "Your mother already informed me that she doesn't want you volunteering for this assignment, and frankly, I don't feel comfortable with it myself." He sighed and knelt down to Zak's level. "You are just too valuable to the Empire Zak, too valuable to us. We simply can't risk sending our only son on a suicide mission."

Zak froze. "Suicide?"

"Yes," answered Zim calmly. "With Rik's level of skill and experience, the chances of him making it back alive are slim compared to an experienced operative, but he should be able to complete his tasks before he's noticed."

Upon hearing this new piece of information, Zak's attitude switched from determination to anger. "Then send someone else! Send someone more experienced!"

"We can't" sighed Zim. "All of our expert stealth units have already been sent out on other important spy missions."

"Then call some of them back!"

"It's not that simple. They are under too deep of cover. If we contact them now they might be caught."

Zak's hands had balled into fists, and he stood staring up at Zim, fuming. He knew his father was right, but he just didn't feel good knowing his best friend had pretty much been sentenced to death.

Zim seemed to understand Zak's frustration and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "I know you're upset Zak, but it's not like we are TRYING to kill him off (_unlike the last Tallests)," _he said with a scowl at the thought of his former leaders. "Once Rik completes his mission, we are going to try our best to guide him to a checkpoint where a cruiser can safely drop down and pick him up. Besides, he seems more than eager to go."

Zak still wasn't satisfied, but he trusted his father to keep his word. He hurried out the door and down to the docking bay where he knew Rick was getting his pre-mission briefing.

Once Zak was gone, Zim turned back to Gir and continued working. He was so preoccupied that he didn't even hear the door slide open again as Dib entered the room. Zim was just putting the finishing touches on Gir when the human sneaked up behind him.

"So how'd the kid take it" said Dib inches away from Zim's head, causing him to jump. While startled, his hand accidentally swiped up against Gir's ON switch. The little robot woke up, and immediately he noticed he still had the giant hole in the side of his head. Screaming at the top of his high pitched robotic voice, he jumped down from the work station and ran out the door.

"Great!" shouted Zim, throwing his repair tool onto the floor. "Now I have to start over!"

Dib leaned against the side of the work station with folded arms and a huge smile. He knew damn well what he had done and thought it was funny as hell.

Zim narrowed his eyes and glared at him. "I hate you."

Dib snickered. "I know, but it's just too damn funny." He turned and went to capture the psychotic little robot in exchange for his humorous trick.

* * *

Down in the docking bay, Zak caught up with Rik at the end of his mission briefing. Rik was just about to board the ship when Zak stopped him. Confused, Rik turned around to face his friend.

"Zak? What are you doing down here?"

"I just...found out...," said Zak trying to catch his breath, "you are being sent on a suicide mission. I just talked to my father and he said the chances of you making it back are..."

Rik started chuckling. "You don't need to worry Zak. I know they SAY it's a suicide mission, but I'm confident in my abilities."

"No Rik...you don't understand. It IS a suicide mission. There's no way you'll be able to make it out alive with your level of experience."

"And why not?" questioned Rik, slightly insulted. "Because I'm not as good as YOU are? Because I won't do things YOUR way? You win by breaking the rules Zak. Just because you scored higher than me doesn't mean you are better at everything."

"This has nothing to do with high scores!"

"Doesn't it?" questioned Rik as he looked right into Zak's eyes. "It sounds to me like you're jealous over the fact that I was picked over you for this mission."

Zak was furious. Here he was trying to save his friend's life, and the idiot was completely ignoring his warning. "I'm not jealous. If you just listen..."

"No YOU listen!" said Rik, pointing a finger inches away from Zak. "For once, I am given the opportunity to do something great, and like always, you want to steal it away from me. I've always been in your shadow Zak. No matter how close I was to winning every match during training, be it luck or whatever, you always somehow managed to beat me. You may be my friend, but this time it's my turn, and I'm not about to let you take this away from me! If you really were my friend you would be happy for me."

Rik picked up his black cloaking mask and fit it over his head forcefully. He looked down at Zak one last time. "Not all of us have parents that are the Tallest you know."

And without another word, Rik turned away from his friend and climbed inside the ship. The pilot started the engines and the ship began to pull away from the landing pad. Zak could do anything but watch helplessly as the drop ship exited the docking bay.

* * *

The small stealth cruiser successfully entered the Kinzak planet's atmosphere undetected. As the surface approached closer and closer, Rik was able to make out some of the landscape. It was a dark planet, half covered in dirt and rock, and the sky was filled with rows of long narrow clouds. With the sunset shinning through them, it was an attractive sight, but that was quickly shattered by the large black mass that spread out across the other half of the planet. Rik knew there was no mistaking it. It was the silhouette of the most dangerous, miserable, merciless, secure prison in the universe; Grougon prison.

Rik switched on his com. "Big Brother, this is Green Shadow. We are nearing the hot zone. Do you copy?"

"Copy Green Shadow. Commence phase one of Operation NACHOS."

Rik paused at the name. "Nachos? Really?"

"Yes..." grumbled the Irken commander."Look, the robot picked the name, not me. Just listen to orders!"

"Affirmative."

Rik checked his breathing mask to make sure everything was in place. The small drop ship hovered five feet from the ground and Rik hopped down onto the barren surface. Immediately, he felt the chill of the surrounding air sting his body and the dust beginning to collect on his feet. The temperature of the planet was just below freezing, but the thermostat unit in his suit quickly activated and countered the cold by equalizing the temperature.

"Green shadow, our monitors indicate you are still undetected, but you will need to switch on cloaking. Be advised, your cloaking unit will mask your body temperature as well as you, but once you switch off cloaking you will no longer be hidden from heat detectors. Also, do not take off your mask until you are inside, I repeat, _inside_ the prison. Is that clear? The radiation out here is still harmful and could kill you before you reach your objective."

"Rodger that," replied Rik as he switched on his cloaking device. He had heard horror stories about the radiation on the Kinzak planet. It was said that one of the punishments for an insubordinate inmate was to be taken out of the prison without any protective gear and the guards would make bets on whether or not the poor soul could even make it back inside alive. _Just one more reason to not get caught_, he thought. The drop ship hovered away and Rik set off to cross the barren wasteland.

Rik knew why the Kinzak's home world had been destroyed. It had been nuked as the last act before the Irken race had taken power from the Kinzak's. Their entire planet had been destroyed, but unlike the Kinzaks, Irkens harbored sympathy. Instead of making the Kinzak race extinct, the newly crowned Tallests agreed to allow the remaining Kinzaks to run and control the biggest and most infamous prison in the galaxy.

Rik's thoughts were interrupted when he reached the edge of the prison walls. The entire area was heavily guarded. There was no main gate or entrance, but Rik had a plan. Checking to make sure his cloaking device was still fully functional, he set up a decoy explosive on the side of the prison. He ran to a safe distance and took cover behind a large rock. He counted down in his head.

_Detonation in three, two, ..._

The sound of the explosion alerted the guards. They hurried to the source of the noise, creating an opportunity for Rik. With the guards distracted he was able to use a powerful laser tool to cut a small hole into the thick concrete. He quickly hurried through and dragged a rock behind him to cover up his tracks.

After finally making his way deeper inside the prison walls, Rik stopped when he reached a gap full of pipelines. Now that it was safe, he quietly pulled off his breathing unit. "Big Brother, this is Green Shadow," he whispered. "Phase one is complete."

"Affirmative. Commence with phase two Green Shadow. We are cutting communications with you now. You're on your own from here kid."

Rik secured his head mask to make sure he was still fully cloaked and packed away his breathing unit. He would need it later, but it made his breathing slightly louder and in order to sneak around quietly it would be a liability. He silently climbed through the walls using the pipes for extra cover. Everything was cold, dirty, and slimy, especially the walls. As he crawled, he could hear the blood curdling screams of the tortured prisoners echoing though them. Rik shuddered. Remembering his training, he mentally tried to block any thoughts of the events happening deeper inside the prison. Suddenly something sticky caught his attention. He lifted his hand and noticed that a label had been engraved on one of the pipes.

"Biohazard," he muttered to himself. "These pipes might lead to the weapons development lab."

Following a mini map on his wrist device, and using the pipes as a guide, he eventually located the main testing facilities. He maneuvered his way up until he was positioned on the "roof" of the underground room. Carefully and quietly, he cut a medium sized hole through the metal with a laser. After making sure everything was clear, he dropped down onto a metallic surface.

He gasped. The chamber was gigantic. It contained the main floor which circled around a large container, a sterilizing room, a data storage room, and a series of multiple glass enclosed testing rooms which stretched from the top of the chamber to the bottom.

_This must be at least several stories below ground_, Rik thought to himself. _Whatever they are hiding it's obviously dangerous_.

Suddenly, in a glass testing chamber to the left of him, he noticed movement. He turned, but was shocked to discover three beaten, starved, and exhausted Irken prisoners. Rik took a closer look. They didn't seem to notice him, but nor were they trying to make any effort to escape.

_Something's, wrong here_, thought Rik. He started to get a little closer to the testing room, but to his surprise, the floor suddenly dropped out from under him. With cat-like reflexes he immediately supported his weight by wedging his body between the glass windows of the adjacent testing rooms.

Rik watched as the metallic platform that disappeared beneath him descended to the main floor. A small group stepped aboard the platform, and it quickly made its ascent back up towards him. The group stopped in front of the test chamber. Luckily, Rik still had his cloaking activated, so they didn't see him. There were three of them, two smaller Vorten scientists wearing lab coats and one large authoritative figure wearing a Kinzak military uniform. Rik assumed he was the head of the department.

"How is the process coming along?" asked the Kinzak leader.

"We have perfected the brain-blanking chemical element, as you can see with these three here," answered the main scientist, "but we are still having trouble trying to combine it with the main compound. Most of the subjects simply do not survive."

The tall Kinzak approached the glass barrier and took a closer look at the test subjects. "What about the ones that do survive?" he asked curiously.

"Well actually sir, they die too, just in a much more...interesting way. Basically their bodies destabilize from the inside out. The DNA just isn't combatable."

The tall Kinzak nodded and continued to stare into the chamber. "Doctor, I want you to run the next test on these three."

"Yes sir! Although, I don't see what good it will do."

Rik watched as a deep blackish purple gas slowly crept into the test chamber. Within seconds he could hear the cries of the three Irkens inside, but the thickness of the gas kept them hidden from view. Once the gas cleared only two live Irkens remained.

"Two out of three," muttered the leader.

Rik was disgusted. Just the way the lead Kinzak smiled made him feel sick.

"That's the best we've done so far, but there is still no guarantee they will survive," replied the scientist. "They might just rot from the inside out like the others."

"Wait, what's happened to that one?" asked the other scientist as he pointed to the third Irken. His body was hunched over and his eyes had changed in both shape and color, resembling morphed Kinzak eyes.

"I don't believe it!" shouted the second scientist. "We've done it! We've successfully engineered a hybrid!"

Rik's antennae perked up. _A hybrid! Why would the Kinzaks need to create hybrids_?

Unfortunately his thought process was cut short. He realized his muscles had been slowly fatiguing throughout the conversation and he had been slowly losing his grip. He attempted to reposition himself, but failed. Before he knew it, he was free falling from four stories up. Luckily he crashed through the glass of a sterilizing room right before he hit the ground which helped break his fall. After regaining his composure, he sat up, slowly, but only to find a piece of glass pierced through his midsection. He laid his head back again and felt his vision begin to fade to black. The last thing he saw was a pair of dark boots standing in over him.

**Author's Note:** Once again I apologize for the delay, but here it is! The next chapter in the sequel! And no it's not the same bad guy from the old story. That would be lame. Also, I tried to keep this chapter from being too dark, so I left out the gory details about what happens to the gassed Irkens who don't make it. But ya know, I think that leaves more to the imagination, don't you? Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'll be sure to do my part and keep working on this story for those of you interested in my work, so its up to you guys to review! Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it!


	6. Escape

**Escape**

Rik opened his eyes dazedly. As he felt his vision slowly return to him, he looked around the room to take in his surroundings. Everything was bright, especially the light source shining directly above him, and the entire place was sterile and spotless. He tried to move his arms and legs, but quickly realized his limbs were bound tightly to the lab table he was upon. He noticed movement from his left corner. When he turned, he discovered a small Vortian scientist in a miniature white lab uniform. The scientist had his back to Rik, and unfortunately, due to his angle, Rik was not able to see what the Vortian was working on. Knowing he was in a bad situation, Rik struggled again to break free.

"It's useless you know."

Rik froze realizing the scientist had spoken to him.

"Release me!" he demanded. "Do you realize what the consequences are for capturing an Irken soldier?"

The scientist remained silent. Instead of answering, he simply walked over to a tray that was hovering next to the lab table. He reached down slowly and picked up an empty, used syringe. Rik's eyes widened when he finally realized he had already been sedated and possibly experimented on. He looked down at his body for cuts, but was puzzled to find he was still in his uniform. From as far as he could tell, they hadn't done anything to him. He then looked around the room, but was again confused. The lab table was clean. The floor was clean. Where was the blood? Where were the used lab tools?

"What did you do to me while I was unconscious?"

Again, the scientist remained silent. Rik continued to stare at him, but it wasn't long before the lab doors slid open with a hiss. Rik's eyes narrowed into a death stare. It was the Kinzak leader from before, only this time Rik could recognize him more clearly.

He had the traditional build of a Kinzak; several feet tall, blue-grey, muscular lizard -like body structure, and a spiked tail. His two muscular legs extended to feet that were structured like a tyrannosaurus, but instead of claws they had three hooves like a deer's to support the heavy body weight. Unlike Emperor Slate, this Kinzak was mask-less. His face appeared to resemble a cross somewhere between a dragon and an orc, with a medium snout, but a bulky head with blazing red eyes and two massive canines that stuck out from his bottom jaw.

"Wonderful, you're awake!" greeted the Kinzak. His voice was deep and strident.

Rik continued to stare at the Kinzak coldly. "Who are you?"

"My apologies, allow me to introduce myself. I am Andor Grougon, warden of this planet's prison, Grougon Prison."

Rik continued to stare at the warden. There was something about his 'friendly' attitude Rik didn't like. It seemed a little too condescending.

"What do you want with me?" questioned Rik.

Grougon allowed a devilish smirk to slip as he began pacing around Rik. He began inspecting him as if he were a new car on display, checking all the fine details. Rik watched him impatiently. Once satisfied, Grougon stopped and turned to face the Irken.

"Yes, I suppose you will make a fine specimen for the experiment. Slinsky, take him to the main laboratory. The preparations have already been made."

The Vortian scientist Slinsky nodded. Rik couldn't help but notice him eject a small computer chip and place it in his coat pocket. Rik's mind raced. Before he knew it, he was being whisked away to a different chamber of the massive underground facility with Grougon leading the brigade of Vortian scientists. Together, they entered a much larger laboratory with dozens more scientists working on machines evenly placed throughout the chamber walls. In the middle sat another large, clean experimenting table.

Rik began struggling again. If there was any chance of him making a run for it, he was going to take it. Grougon ordered the scientists to transfer him to the experimentation table. It happened so fast, Rik hadn't had any time to react. The table he was on now stretched his limbs more than the last one, most likely for an autopsy, and the restraints were much more secure. He sighed in defeat. Zak had been right all along. This had all been a suicide mission, and he had been a fool to think otherwise.

Grougon gave a signal, and a large machine lowered from the ceiling. It appeared to be a specialized laser of some sort. It stopped just a few feet above Rik. Grougon strode up and placed his clawed hand on the machine.

"What do you think? One of the finest pieces of Irken technology that we possess. Capable of slicing through even the hardest of structures, with adjustable settings of course. We just had to reverse engineer it a bit for it to work in our hands. Ironic that it's being used on an actual Irken."

Grougon motioned toward one of the scientists controlling the machine to set the laser on a lower power setting. Then, he turned back toward Rik.

"It's also the perfect tool for slicing through flesh clean in two without damaging any internal structures. We had to go through dozens of prisoners before we finally found the correct setting."

Rik stared back at Grougon angrily. He simply didn't understand why the Kinzak was doing this. After the war they were given back their home planet in exchange they use it as a prison for those who are dangerous or betray the Irken Empire. What was there to be gained? Just as the laser's initiation sequence was activated, a loud explosive blast from above shook the lab. Tremors rippled throughout the chamber causing the power to shut down. An emergency alarm went off immediately.

"Intruders on the upper levels!" reported one of the Vortians.

"All personnel to battle stations," Grougon barked anxiously. "The main weapon is top priority! Protect it at all costs!"

Suddenly, an Irken soldier with blue eyes approached Grougon. "Sir, we will need your override to access the research facility in order to protect the launch codes."

Rik's eyes narrowed at the sight. An Irken helping a Kinzak...it disgusted him. How could a member of his race stoop so low and willingly take orders from someone so disgusting.

Grougon growled in frustration. "Very well. Leave the test subject here. The restraints will hold him until we take care of the problem."

"Yes sir!"

Rik watched as the two dashed out of the lab. As much as he despised the Irken, he was thankful that the idiot had distracted Grougon and led him away. Now was his window of opportunity to escape. He struggled to get free again, but another tremor shook the room violently. Some of the machinery began to give way and fall from their high stations. The rest of the scientists quickly hurried out of the room. Dodging falling debris, they left Rik still bound to the table.

Rik continued to struggle, but to no avail. He simply wasn't strong enough to break the restraints. He banged his head back against the table in frustration. Suddenly, another explosion shook the chamber. This time, it was close enough to knock the giant laser off balance. Rik's eyes widened as the laser detached from the ceiling and began falling toward him. He shut his eyes and braced his body for impact, but the laser crashed into the side of the lab table. The impact destroyed the table, and Rik was thrown violently unto the lab floor as a large chunk of debris struck his skull. The pain registered instantly, and he held his hand against his head, but pulled it away just as quickly when he felt warm liquid ooze down the side. It was a bad injury, and he knew he had about an hour before the blood seeped into his nervous system or he went into shock.

Rik battled with the intense pain. He had also broken a couple of ribs, which made his breathing difficult. The world was starting to become a blur and he was feeling weaker by the minute. Suddenly he noticed something small on the ground next to him. It was the computer chip the Vortian scientist was carrying. Using every ounce of strength left, he reached to grab it. He succeeded, but the effort had used up the last of his strength and he collapsed back to the floor. He was sure this time he would unlikely be able to get back up without help.

"Rik! Hang on!"

Confused, Rik turned his head to face the familiar voice, but his own voice was weak.

"Zak?"

Zak hopped down to where Rik was lying and knelt down in front of him. He frowned at Rik's condition.

"I told you it was a suicide mission," he said sympathetically. He knelt down and carefully pulled Rik's arm over his shoulder to lift him up. Rik coughed from the sudden movement and a small splatter of blood sprinkled onto the floor.

Zak became very worried. "Let's get you out of here." He put every ounce of strength into dragging his friend to the exit vent he had used to sneak into the chamber. Once they were inside, Rik tried to speak.

"How...how did you...even...?"

"Find you?" answered Zak. "I stole a mini stealth cruiser similar to the one that dropped you off and followed you into the prison. If we can get back to the ship, I can get us back to the Massive."

The two continued to hobble through the vent-like tube, but Rik's breaths were shortening.

"Did you...find...bio-weapon?" he asked.

"I couldn't get close to it," answered Zak. "It was too heavily guarded. It wasn't until the explosion went off that I came back to get you."

Rik began coughing violently and tightened his grip on Zak's shoulder, indicating for them to take a rest. Zak sat Rik down gently, allowing his back to rest against the wall. He quickly reached inside his pack and pulled out a syringe filled with a liquid.

"It will help prevent you from bleeding out," he said. Rik understood and nodded as Zak injected him with the first-aid. After Zak put the syringe back, he pulled out an extra gas mask and handed it to Rik.

"We are almost to the edge of the prison," explained Zak. "You're going to need this."

Rik took the gas mask and secured it. "Zak, those explosions, did you cause them?"

Zak shook his head after securing his own mask. "No, I thought that was you."

Before Rik could say anything more, another explosive blast impacted the tunnel-vent. Unfortunately for the two Irkens, this one was too close. The force of the impact easily knocked Zak off his feet. He stood up, but was horrified to discover that the roof of the tunnel was cracking and beginning giving way. He quickly got up and scurried over to Rik. He held out his arm.

"Come on! We've got to get out of here before the whole thing caves in on us!"

Rik struggled to get up, but was simply too weak. Suddenly, a loud, cracking noise came from overhead. Knowing they were out of time, Zak quickly knelt down, threw an arm under Rik, and forced him up unto his feet. Rik grunted in severe pain, but both of them knew they were out of options. Finally, the ceiling gave way and began to crumbling into the tunnel. While practically dragging Rik, Zak forcefully ran through the tunnel as all around them, chunks of concrete debris fell. Zak tried to dodge them as best he could, but inevitably some of the smaller debris struck the two of them.

They continued to run until Zak spotted the opening at the end of the tunnel. "There! That's our exit!" He quickened the pace even more. Now the entire tunnel was ready to collapse. Zak's eyes widened as the concrete above them shifted elevation and began to completely give way. With one last final bit of effort, Zak leapt for the opening, pulling Rik along with him. They barely made it through before the tunnel behind them finally buckled.

Thankful he had the mask secure, Zak stood up and dusted himself off.

"You alright Rik?"

Rik coughed again and sat up. "I'm still alive if that's what you mean."

Zak smirked at his friend's sense of sarcasm. "Come on. We're almost to the ship."

Zak dragged Rik over to a well concealed area outside the prison and deactivated the cloaking on the stealth cruiser. The two of them climbed in and Zak hopped into the pilot's seat. He quickly started up the cruiser and took off back toward Massive.

**Author's note:** Wow it's amazing! I finally got around to updating! What has it been now? A year? Well I guess that's appropriate since my computer decided to take a massive crap on me and erase all my work. So I was a little pissed, but that's not important. I hope you all at least somewhat enjoyed this, but if not, I am happy with the way it turned out regardless. I'm pretty excited to get started on the next chapter since I'll finally get to reveal some mysteries. Also a little fun fact for everyone; originally I was thinking of writing Zak's best friend (Rik) as a female character where the two had a crush on one another, but it all seemed too cliché and I decided to avoid that route. To be honest, I'm kind of tired of the whole "fall in love with your best friend" thing. Why can't Hollywood show females as just being friends with males without all that extra nonsense. Anyways, now that my rant is over, on to the next chapter!


	7. Back on the Massive

**Back on the Massive**

Zim sat beside his son's hospital "bed" in the medical bay. Zak wasn't severely hurt. He had just been given medicine to be knocked out while the doctors looked him over and sutured up his wounds. Rik had been in much worse shape, but was also estimated to make a full recovery.

Zim stood erect as one of the doctors approached him.

"My Tallest Sir! All damages for Zak have been accounted for. We are preparing to bring him out of delta phase."

Zim nodded. "Acknowledged doctor. Carry on."

Zim turned his attention back to his son, who was finally beginning to wake up.

"Ugh...what the hell happened?" muttered Zak. He was still groggy from the medications and tried opening his eyes, but the bright white light was blinding. He blinked twice and opened his eyes again. As they adjusted he could make out the tall form of Zim sitting at his bedside.

"D-dad? Where am I? What happened? Did I get Rik out in time? Is he alive?"

"It's ok Zak. Calm down. You're in the medical bay of the Massive. Rik's here too. He's going to be okay."

Zak sighed in relief. They had both made it out of the prison alive. "So...does that mean you're not angry with me stealing a ship and running off?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that," answered Zim sternly, crossing his arms. "And it's not just me Zak. Tak is pretty furious as well." He turned his head and motioned towards the entrance.

Zak perked his antennae up to listen. Sure enough he could hear some poor bastard getting chewed out by a very, VERY angry Tak. Next thing he knew, she had burst her way into the medical bay surrounded by a fuming aura. As she approached, Zak lowered his antennae. He had never seen his mother this angry before in his entire life. She marched sternly up to his bedside next to Zim, but instead of yelling at him, she simply stared at Zak without a word. Her expression said it all. Zak knew he was damn lucky to have gotten out alive.

Zim, stood up from the bedside. "Zak, I don't think you understand the danger you put yourself in today. The Kinzak planet is Irken exempt territory. If you had gotten caught spying, they would have every legal right to do whatever they please with you. But...we will talk about your debriefing later. For now, Tak and I have the matter of your discipline to discuss."

Zim guided Tak away from the hospital bed and toward the exit. Zak watched relieved as both his parents exited the med-bay. He was safe, for now.

* * *

Zim and Tak took the elevator to their private quarters. However, the atmosphere felt a little uncomfortable for Zim since Tak hadn't said a word since the medical bay. She didn't even seem angry anymore, just sad and tired. When they reached their quarters, Zim stopped her after stepping off the elevator.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a voice full of concern.

Tak kept her eyes lowered. "It's just...I was so afraid he might not return," she muttered. "I don't understand the feeling. I know how capable Zak is, but he is my only son. If the Kinzaks have gotten a hold of him...I don't know what-"

Zim put his hand under her chin and brought her eyes up to meet his. "I was worried sick too, but everything's okay now. He made it back. Not too surprising seeing as he has your genes."

Tak smirked. "Same could be said for you," she replied wittily. Tak had endured countless stories from Dib about how Zim was harder to get rid of than a cockroach back when he chased him around. It made her chuckle a bit when she thought about it.

Zim smiled. He was happy to see that Tak was no longer upset. Seizing the moment, he took Tak's hand in his to get her attention.

"Tak, the real reason I brought you up here wasn't to talk about Zak."

Tak stared at him, confused. Zim quickly reached around and took something out of his pack.

"I wanted to surprise you with this."

Tak's breath caught and her heart skipped a beat. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Zim...is that...is that really?"

"MIMI!" Gir shouted as he came out of nowhere and happily tackled the poor freshly repaired sir unit right out of Zim's hands. The two robots landed a few good yards away with a metallic thud. Gir rolled around in joy while hugging Mimi. Eventually Mimi escaped GIR's death grasp of a hug and returned the affection by joining him in childish rejoicing.

Tak turned back to look at Zim in complete astonishment.

"Naturally she had a few minor bugs here and there, but nothing I haven't been able to fix with Gir." Zim explained with his eyes closed. He was clearly proud of his handiwork. "The most difficult part of course was reactivating her memory chip, which I eventually found buried within the scrap metal deep down in...eh-"

Zim's eyes quickly snapped open. He was a little stunned to find that Tak had wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, almost desperately. Her head had even found a resting place on his shoulder. Zim relaxed as his initial shock melted away. A loving smirk formed on his face. It seemed amusing to him that Tak, an Irken viewed as one of the hardiest leaders of the Empire, an Irken best known for her headstrong and logical personality, an Irken who never showed her tender emotions in public, nuzzled up against him readily like a lost kitten. Even Zak, her own son, hardly ever saw this side of his mother. Sure Tak was strong willed, but Zim knew that deep down she yearned for the same emotional companionship that he did. Even after all the years of ruling the Empire as the Tallest, no one else made him feel nearly as important. Zim wrapped his arms around her returning her affection. He smiled as he held her close.

After a period of silence, Tak broke the embrace and looked up at him. She was smiling, but Zim noticed that she had a few tears that had managed to leak their way through. He gently wiped them away, knowing she wasn't upset. Like Zim had with GIR, Tak had formed a unique bond with her SIR unit. Zim could tell that she had never really gotten over the fact that MIMI was gone, and he had decided a long time ago that he wanted to surprise Tak one day. Based on her current expression it seemed he had succeeded. She wasn't upset or hurt, just tremendously grateful to him.

Zim leaned in closer to her. She welcomed his gesture once again, and to Zim's surprise, she reached one arm around to the back of his neck to pull him in for a passionate kiss. Zim was a little astonished, but quickly melted into the kiss. When the two finally broke apart, he noticed the mischievous look in her eyes. Smiling, he pulled her closer to return the favor.

* * *

An hour or so later, the two of them lay satisfied on the couch together. Tak was snuggled up against Zim, while his head rested on a pillow on the arm rest. Their clothes were slightly scattered while the two of them were covered with what could be considered a type of blanket. They remained that way for a long while, simply enjoying their long overdue moment of peace.

"Thank you Zim. For everything."

Zim's antennae perked up. He turned to his side and shifted his gaze to Tak, but she didn't look back up at him. Her eyes remained closed, and she was still snuggled up against his body. Zim smiled a gentle smile and rested his head back against the pillow. He knew what she meant. He had spent many, MANY years hunting down the appropriate parts to repair her long lost SIR unit, but the constant hassles of running an Empire had always gotten in the way, not to mention the challenge of raising Zak. The fact that he went through all that trouble had really proven to Tak how much he still cared for her, and after everything the two of them had been through together, she was truly, and eternally grateful.

Zim closed his eyes again. Then, in a quiet, but audible tone, he whispered back, "Happy anniversary Tak," as he drew her in closer to him.

* * *

Dib held up his arm to the DNA scanner outside his room. The door slid open with a hiss allowing him access. He slowly dragged himself inside and allowing his strength to escape him, he collapsed belly first onto his bed.

"Man am I exhausted. What a day."

He sat himself up and was about to remove the heavy parts of his uniform, when a beeping noise from his computer monitor caught his attention. He made his way over to his computer chair and took a look at his monitor.

"Someone hacked into my system! But that's impossible. I'm the only one who has access to this room!"

He quickly opened up the source of the beeping sound, his message box. A short message soon popped up on his screen:

**Seriously, your password is still "bigfootisreal"...**

Dib's eyes bulged open and his jaw dropped. There was only one other person in the universe who knew about that password. He wheeled around immediately and to his surprise, there was the culprit, dressed in an all black suit and relaxing upon his bed while browsing on some electronic device.

"Took ya long enough to figure that one out Dib."

"Gaz!?" Dib exclaimed surprised. "But how...how did you...?"

"Get past your door scanner?" interrupted Gaz, finishing his sentence. "You forget we share the same DNA moron."

Dib made an unamused expression. "Ok, I'll give you credit for that. But how are you even still alive?"

Gaz corrected her posture and sat facing toward him. She was wearing an all black high tech suit that seemed to be a mixture between human and Irken technology. Dib had never seen such an advanced piece of stealth equipment. Not to mention, Gaz hadn't aged any more than Dib had, but she still looked like she was a few years younger than him. She held up her arm and removed the glove, revealing a device embedded in the skin.

"It's similar to the Irken technology you use here on the Massive, but I've had mine installed into the cells of by body. It was not a pleasant procedure. The device in my arm monitors it. In fact, many parts of my body have been modified to superhuman stature, mostly for my job."

"Which is?" asked Dib.

"If I told you that, I would be putting you in danger of being killed," answered Gaz. "I'm a ghost Dib. No one knows I even exist, except you and the people that helped train me. The only reason I'm here now is because I need information."

"What kind of information?" said Dib crossing his arms.

"I need you to speak with Rik and Zak about what they saw in the prison," explained Gaz. "And I mean details."

Dib weighed the options in his head. "Ok, but I'll do it on only one condition. As long as I get some answers from you first."

Gaz nodded.

"Ok, first question, what do you mean by superhuman?"

**Author's note: ***Phew* I finally cranked out the rest of this chapter. I've had a severe case of writers block lately, and while I've wanted to bring these two characters (Mimi & Gaz) back into the story for a while now, it proved to be much more challenging than I intended. But for all you Z&T fans, there's a good dose of fluff for you. I certainly was happy with how this chapter turned out. Hopefully you all will be too (to those who are still reading it anyway). Now I've got to start coming up with ideas on the next one.


End file.
